Opinions on why this system is uninvolving

Tok, agreed.

Stehno, sorry I hit you too hard. You didn't seem to be waking up. Hope you feel better after hitting me back. I will leave you with that and turn the cheek. You need to ask yourself, however, how my original post steering the poster away from Vandy's - while never saying they were necessarily bad speakers - makes me now "irresponsible". I understand you are upset, but you need to be more careful with such words in the future. Just for the record, the "was" in the context of reviewer was past tense.

bwhite or anyone,

I have spent the last 20 min in frustration looking for some place online where I could check out the EAD gear (including pricing) and have come up empty...can anyone help?

Bwhite, when you talk about liking the EAD, are you aiming at the T-7000? I thought I picked up in my travel around the www that there is a MKII and MKIII version? Are these the latest, do you recommend one over the other? Ya know, basically, tell me everything ya know. :)

Also on the Audiomecca (which I have no problem finding infor on), you said OR Audio Note...Which Audio Note do you mean, the line is quite large (and can get expensive)?

I am nearing some significant changes in my system which I have been thinking about and looking into for nearly a year. I am on the verge of having pretty much all the cash flow I would want (10k - 20k) with which I am going to build a system. If I can save in the digital front end, and get better sound, YEA. I have had my mind focused on the EMC-1...I was tempted by Audiomecca (too expensive but aesthetically (sp) just what I want)...the Capitol is way to high and is ugly...IMHO.

After owning and hearing all kinds of speakers I always gravitate back to JM Lab. So I have been debating basically between the Micro and the Mini with plans to add a REL sub someday out. I have owned the Mini's before and regrettably sold them. The difference between these two is almost imperceptible so I have a hard time justifying the difference. With the new Utopia line looming both of these are a better than ever value.

I recently heard the new Dynaudio C2s and was blown away. That was the most gripping experience I have had for quite sometime (first time I heard them it was on a 1k Consonance Integrated). I lean toward the "warmth" musicality of the Utopia line but am always impressed with the detail and purity of lines like Kharma (owned the Cerm 2). Do you, bwhite, or anyone else know anything about the C2 characteristic over a longer period of time?

Bwhite, anyway, what I am getting at is to give you an brief idea of my listening bias so you can tell me if you think the EAD/Audiomecca front end would match well.
[side note: I have not decided about amps though I am drawn to the Joule Stargate because I fell in love with Lamm's use of the 6C33 tube (ML1) and hoped that the stargate might lean in that direction. I have learned to love tubes but I like bottom end too and so I vasilate between which I will miss most. The midrange warmth or the bottom end roll-off.]

Anyway, your thoughts are appreciated. I don't mean to hi-jack this thread and so I would take comments offline but maybe some of the answers might be relevant to this thread also. Either way thanks for the help.

Charles

Btuna, Supratek has some LAMM look alike amps for @ $5K which is a steal - a lot for your $. Take a look on their site. Havene't heard them myself, but worth consideration given pre's performance.

Let's see, Audiomecca/EAD with JL Mini/REL, Supratek electronics...sounds delicious.

Asa,

Thanks for the response. I have checked out the Supratek Pre and Amp. The Pre is on my list of purchases. I have thought about the Amps...my only hesitation is that

1. I haven't heard them but...I haven't heard the Stargate either so that would not keep me ultimately from buying and
2. I can get the Stargates for under 3k and the Supratek would have to be purchased full retail since they are never found used and I don't have any connections.

If I can swing it, I would prefer the Supra monos (4 6C33 each). Anyway, great feedback, thanks.

charles

charles, try to swing the Supra amps, maybe get package deal. Jud Barber is an old friend of mine at Joule, great guy and I have his pre, but the amps are different. The amps are more thin than the pre's. I haven't heard the Stargate, but would be surprised if sound of those amps are that much off what I've heard earlier. Since getting TAS attention, not the value as when they started, but still good stuff, and, again, Jud, like Mick, is a class act. I just think the Supra's are a hell of a lot for the money - you are essentially getting the $15K LAMM's super customized. That said, you can't go wrong with Jud or his products.